An Interesting Egg
by leslina
Summary: Tsunade prepares to leave Konoha no sato, but is deterred when she encounters an interesting egg.


An Interesting Egg

By Leslina

Disclaimer: Naruto and all related enterprises ã Kishimoto Masashi, the Shueisha Publishing Co., Studio Pierrot, etc.

_Written prior to the release of the Naruto Hiden Tou no Sho Official Character Data Book._

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"Damn you Sarutobi-sensei," Tsunade of Hidden Leaf village's Legendary Sannin muttered as she stalked towards the Ninja Academy. She had made up her mind that morning to resign from the teaching board. She saw no point in remaining on the Jounin instructor roster when she failed every Genin group that Sarutobi-sensei assigned to her anyway. Children these days lacked motivation, talent, and not to mention intelligence. But Sarutobi-sensei, the manipulative bastard, wasn't about to let her walk away. 

"There's a student I want you to see."

"Tch, another uninspiring brat? I don't think so."

"Tsunade-chan, you're much too harsh." The third Hokage chided gently. "The village of the Hidden Leaf is bursting with the fires of youthful souls—"

"All right I'll go check it out! Just not another one of your speeches, jeez!"

"Thank you, Tsunade-chan." The old man smiled cheerfully. "You always were my favorite you know."

"Don't push it old man."

Still, she had to admit that she was sorely curious. If a student had drawn Sarutobi-sensei's eye, they were worth checking out.

Tsunade approached the schoolyard, pushing the sleeves of her green haori up to her elbows. "Alright, let's get this over— shit!" she cursed, realizing the old man hadn't told her the name of the student.

The dismissal bell sounded then, followed moments later with the raucous noise of aspiring shinobi filling the yard. Most hurried on home to waiting parents, others lingered around. One particular group caught Tsunade's attention.

"Tch." Some things never changed.

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"Tomboy!" 

"Shut up!"

"O-ow! You broke my nose! Bitch!"

"Hey, you brats, what the hell is going on here?" As Tsunade approached, the children, including Broken Nose, scurried from the yard darting off in various directions. The female Sannin, although a Jounin instructor, was notorious amongst the schoolyard tales that circulated throughout the Academy.

"Wa… it's her!"

"You!" Tsunade barked at the one child who hadn't run away and wondered if the kid lacked self-preservation. "I saw you punch that boy. Why did you do that?"

The kid, who was in fact a little girl with a rag mop of dark hair, roughly wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "Because he had it coming!" she sniffed, and whirled around to meet the sensei that had undoubtedly come to give her detention.

"Huh?" Tsunade cocked a blond brow inwardly impressed by the child's bravado, albeit foolish.

"They—" The girl swallowed hard.

Heh, so now she realizes who she's dealing with. All right brat let's see what you've got.

The girl was immediately aware that the woman who stood before her was no ordinary Academy teacher, but someone much much scarier. Still, she held her ground. "They were saying mean things… that I was a tomboy and a hick…" her lips trembled but she pursed them tightly, refusing to cry in front of the sensei, this one in particular. "They're just jealous because I have the best grades in class!"

The Sannin leaned forward, her hazel gaze perusing the girl's rumpled kimono thoughtfully. This brat certainly had gumption. "I see, and a tomboyish hick like you couldn't possibly be so smart, right?"

The girl tensed, hands fisting at her sides at the ready to argue the Sannin's remarks.

"That was a nice shot you landed on that Uchiha brat, but classmates shouldn't fight one another."

Large coal eyes blinked. She had not expected the compliment. "Yes. I'm very sorry." The child murmured softly in apology.

"Tch," Tsunade groused. "No point in being all apologetic now." She scratched her brow, just above the chakara point nestled at the center. "You're new at the Academy, right? I don't think I've seen you before."

The girl nodded. "That's right. My name is Shizune. I started this term." Her gaze lowered to the ground. "I'm on the special scholarship… the one for orphans of fallen shinobi…"

Tsunade watched the child with carefully veiled admiration. For a scrap of a brat she was smart and had heart, but the Sannin wondered about the child's intentions. Orphans were always hell bent on vengeance and she bet that this one—however interesting—was probably no different. She made a wager then; if the brat sought vengeance as she thought, she would report her to the Academy Headmaster. If not…

Heh, there just was no way she could lose this one.

"Idiot." Tsunade scoffed, her mouth twisted in an all-knowing smirk. "If this is about avenging your parents then you should quit right—"

"NO!" The girl cried out furiously. She swallowed nervously, but like before, she held her ground. "I don't want to avenge my parents." Shizune said with the seriousness of someone far beyond her years. "I want to be a Medic Ninja!"

"M-Medic Ninja?" Tsunade parroted shocked by the declaration. She probed deeply into the little girl's eyes. The brat couldn't possibly be serious, but what Tsunade undoubtedly encountered was a determination that she had not seen since…

"Yes! A Medic Ninja!" Shizune nodded, hands fisted with determination at her sides. "My mother and father died because their platoon didn't have a Medic Ninja to look after them on the battlefield. Hokage-sama said there weren't enough Medic Ninja to go around for all of the platoons."

"Heh," Tsunade snorted. "There aren't many Medic Ninja because it's very difficult to become one. A Medic Ninja has to go through twice the training as a normal shinobi."

"I know that!" the girl barked. "But I don't care how hard it is. I'm going to become a Medic Ninja because it's my dream! I'm going to train hard and study hard and become the best Medic Ninja, better than Yakushi-san, even better than you Tsunade-sama, Konoha no Sato's number one Medic Ninja!"

Heh, so this is the brat, eh Sarutobi-sensei?

"What?!" Tsunade growled and grabbed the scrap of girl by the collar. "Those are big words from a skinny little brat like you."

Shizune braced herself for the strike. "I don't care if you hit me Tsunade-sama. I'm going to become a Medic Ninja because being a Medic Ninja is... my... dream."

_…Because being Hokage is my dream…_

"Tch," the Sannin snorted as she gently set the girl back on the ground. "I'll admit you are an interesting brat." 

Shizune lowered her forearm, and stared open-mouthed; shocked that the woman had not disciplined her for her disrespect.

"And a lucky one at that." Tsunade sighed irritably.

The Sannin leaned forward and raised a finger towards the girl's head and Shizune cringed apprehensively. Maybe she still intended to exact punishment after all. But instead of striking her as Shizune had feared, Tsunade gently pushed a lock of her dark hair behind her ear.

"I won't report you this time." Tsunade smiled. "Study hard and become a respectable Medic Ninja, Alright?"

Riveted, Shizune smiled in turn.

"I will!"

Damn, I lost again.

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"Tch, you play dirty old man." Jiraiya grumbled as he slapped the bill on the Hokage's table. 

"Huh?" The Third Hokage gasped with mock disdain as he pocketed the money. "It was just luck. Tsunade-chan can be quite unpredictable."

"Tch, bastard, you knew that brat was an interesting egg… and I was saving that hundred ryo for the weekend…" The Toad Hermit groaned mournfully.

"Ho?" Sandaime chuckled. "Still haven't heard from the publishers?"

"Shut up!"

owari


End file.
